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Considerations & Innovations for Managing
Michigan's Lowland Forests
Field Tour
The field tour was arranged by Jack Pilon and Jim Charlier, with the assistance of the DNRE Forest Management Division. The site was on state forest land, with a small timber sale set-up specially for the MSAF demonstration of the new Ponsse Fox processor. The Fox boasts a four axle processor, rather than the more common three axle. The boom was set back further on the machine. Modifications have resulted in a larger processor. For the demo, the Fox wore Eco-Tracks on the front axles. Fully loaded with a 10,000 pound load, the pounds per square inch are less than that of a human walking on the peat. Of course, the site issues are more associated with the forwarding than with the harvesting. More information about Ponsse products can be found at www.ponsse.com and Jim Charlier is located in Escanaba at jim.charlier@ponsse.com or 906-201-0343.
Each of the images below are linked to a higher resolution image. Click on the thumbnail to see the large image. At the bottom of this page are several short video clips of the Ponsse Fox in action.
 SAF District V Rep. Ernie Houghton |
 Jim Charlier introducing the morning activity |
 MSAF members listening to questions and answers |
 Questions from the crowd |
 Deep silvicultural thoughts? |
 Observations of the new machine |
 Jim listening to a question |
 Eco-tracks |
 Questions about the Fox |
 Pointing out new features |
 Laying slash in front of the processor |
|
 New ideas and a larger machine |
 Main computer display |
 One of two button controls |
 The driver's seat |
 Traversing the peaty site |
 Front end with Eco-tracks |
 Fox profile |
 Cutting head sawing a jack pine clump |
 Face of the cutting head |
 Moving slash and stacking cut pulp sticks |
 Video clip #1 May take time to download |
 Video clip #2 May take time to download |
Note: the MSAF does not recommend, prefer, or endorse the use of Ponsse products or those of any other manufacturers. This field tour was designed to demonstrate that harvesting equipment could be used on wetland sites with minimal damage to the site.
This website is maintained
by Bill Cook, Michigan State University Extension
Forest in the Upper Peninsula. Comments, questions,
and suggestions are gratefully accepted.
Last update of this page
was
24 November, 2010
